I've been waiting all morning for news on several questionable players. A decision on each one would impact my 50/50 lineup of the week. As of writing this, James Conner is unlikely to play today, while LeSean McCoy, T.Y. Hilton, Ito Smith, and others might or might not suit up. Matt Breida reportedly will play, but it's unclear what his role will be. It was recently announced that Ben Roethlisberger has cracked ribs, leading me to remove Antonio Brown from my DFS lineup out of concern for the passing game.
Once again, 50/50 DFS rosters are hard to finalize even on late Sunday mornings. But given what we know right now, the following is the best I can come up with. Obviously you might find even better 50/50 options later today -- such as the ultra-cheap Marcus Murphy if McCoy sits, or the fairly cheap Tevin Coleman if Ito is sidelined. But this is the safest, highest-upside lineup I can currently propose:
QB Nick Mullens ($6,600) -- A last-minute change from the $1,000 more expensive Josh Allen and $2,000 more expensive Big Ben. Mullen comes with obvious risks, and at the same time should be expected to throw a lot with Seattle likely to lead for a majority of this game.
RB Saquon Barkley ($9,400) -- With Odell Beckham, Jr. out, Barkley will assume an even greater share of the offense. While the matchup (Tennessee) could be more challenging than usual, volume (and of course talent) will propel Barkley.
RB Dalvin Cook ($6,200) -- A must-start this week. Possibly a top-5 fantasy RB. I can't believe he's this affordable, but that's how DFS works: the folks who create these prices generally follow the "What have they done lately?" model rather than the "What are they likely to do this week?" model.
WR Stefon Diggs ($7,800) -- And because nothing is guaranteed, I'll hedge on Cook's likely dominance by grabbing WR2 Diggs, who along with Adam Thielen won't have to face Dolphin CB Xavien Howard. Miami's defense was bad enough before. It'll be even worse today.
WR Tyler Boyd ($6,700) -- Last week was a fluky bad game against a tough Chargers D. This week he'll be fine versus Oakland. And I'm betting he'll be better than fine.
WR Amari Cooper ($6,600) -- Some folks are anticipating a massive letdown for Amari coming off a mammoth Week 14 performance. OK, so will eight catches for 85 yards be acceptable? Yeah, I'd be happy with that. And he's capable of much more, making him a financial bargain.
TE Rob Gronkowski ($6,900) -- Almost inserted him into my DFS lineup last week, but lacked the courage. He's worth the investment in a game where New England should score at least three times.
FLEX Chris Carson ($6,300) -- A fairly safe bet with Rashaad Penny out.
DST Giants ($3,500) -- Maybe a top-10 DST this week. Maybe not. But the price is right, and the upside is clear.
Good luck today.
Once again, 50/50 DFS rosters are hard to finalize even on late Sunday mornings. But given what we know right now, the following is the best I can come up with. Obviously you might find even better 50/50 options later today -- such as the ultra-cheap Marcus Murphy if McCoy sits, or the fairly cheap Tevin Coleman if Ito is sidelined. But this is the safest, highest-upside lineup I can currently propose:
QB Nick Mullens ($6,600) -- A last-minute change from the $1,000 more expensive Josh Allen and $2,000 more expensive Big Ben. Mullen comes with obvious risks, and at the same time should be expected to throw a lot with Seattle likely to lead for a majority of this game.
RB Saquon Barkley ($9,400) -- With Odell Beckham, Jr. out, Barkley will assume an even greater share of the offense. While the matchup (Tennessee) could be more challenging than usual, volume (and of course talent) will propel Barkley.
RB Dalvin Cook ($6,200) -- A must-start this week. Possibly a top-5 fantasy RB. I can't believe he's this affordable, but that's how DFS works: the folks who create these prices generally follow the "What have they done lately?" model rather than the "What are they likely to do this week?" model.
WR Stefon Diggs ($7,800) -- And because nothing is guaranteed, I'll hedge on Cook's likely dominance by grabbing WR2 Diggs, who along with Adam Thielen won't have to face Dolphin CB Xavien Howard. Miami's defense was bad enough before. It'll be even worse today.
WR Tyler Boyd ($6,700) -- Last week was a fluky bad game against a tough Chargers D. This week he'll be fine versus Oakland. And I'm betting he'll be better than fine.
WR Amari Cooper ($6,600) -- Some folks are anticipating a massive letdown for Amari coming off a mammoth Week 14 performance. OK, so will eight catches for 85 yards be acceptable? Yeah, I'd be happy with that. And he's capable of much more, making him a financial bargain.
TE Rob Gronkowski ($6,900) -- Almost inserted him into my DFS lineup last week, but lacked the courage. He's worth the investment in a game where New England should score at least three times.
FLEX Chris Carson ($6,300) -- A fairly safe bet with Rashaad Penny out.
DST Giants ($3,500) -- Maybe a top-10 DST this week. Maybe not. But the price is right, and the upside is clear.
Good luck today.